Law Enforcement Consulting, Schaumburg, IL
Agency in Transition
The Problem
In spring 2013, two events thrust the Village of Schaumburg’s Police Department into the public spotlight. One involved the arrest of three officers in the department’s Special Investigations Bureau for narcotics trafficking. The second was a criminal investigation into the Police Chief. “Come in and do a careful independent administrative and operational assessment of the department,” the village leaders said. “Look at the policies and practices that may have failed to alert us to these illicit activities. And help us understand how to deliver the highest quality police services to our community.”
The Solution
Over the next several months, our team reviewed every facet of the department’s operations. We examined supervision, administration and operations, current resources, organizational culture and officer morale, and internal investigations and oversight. It analyzed discipline and enforcement, crime-fighting strategies and tactics, and evidence handling and storage. It pored over information and interview findings related to policy, practice, culture, training, use of technology and communications with internal and external constituencies. And most importantly, it evaluated the agency’s approach to ethics, integrity and public trust.
The Results
This comprehensive review resulted in ten key findings that identified areas of strength, as well as the most urgent and attractive opportunities to correct deficiencies, reestablish leadership, improve performance, rebuild officers’ morale and regain the community’s trust. The team also laid the foundation for an actionable roadmap to achieving these goals by outlining more than 50 recommendations across the department’s strategic, operational and baseline competencies.